No Time For Tears
by fatesfortune987
Summary: The Witch has been defeated, the OZ has been saved, and everyone seems to have found their place, except for DG...
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Tinman isn't mine.

DG darted out the door and into the fresh air outside, her shoes crunching against the gravel path as she hurried around a curve. Diving around a set of bushes, she flung herself towards a bench, that was tucked behind the leafy bushes, hidden from the view of the door and hallway she had just left. Panting, DG listened intently for the creak of a door or the crunch of gravel. After a few minutes she gave a relieved sigh and flopped back on the bench, her big blue eyes, reflection the sky above, as she stared up.

It had been two months since the double eclipse and DG was bored. Going out of her mind, climbing the walls, bored. The Witch had been defeated and Central City taken from the Longcoats. They had saved the OZ and it and it seemed as though everything was finally turning around. Of course it couldn't be that easy and they had all known it.

The House of Gale had taken power again some had rejoiced. Most however were suspicious. Azkadellia still lived and many didn't believe that she had been possessed by the Witch. Many thought it was some kind of the trick. Not only that but the Longcoats, informants, and others who had been loyal to the Witch were a problem all in themselves. Many in the resistance had thought that with the Witch dead, the Longcoats would scatter, and they had for a time. The resistance fighters and the newly reformed Guard had begun hunting the Longcoats down, and the Central City jails had quickly begun to fill with the Longcoats. However after a week or so, the Longcoats and started to organize and reform. Now there was a well entrenched Longcoat insurgency in the city, and the worst was that some of the population had taken their side and was helping them.

Not that the insurgency mattered much to DG. She wasn't even supposed to know about it, though how you could miss it, she wasn't sure. She had never though she would miss running for her life through the fields of Papay, jumping off cliffs, hiding from the evil Witch, but now more than anything she wished that she had been running into the garden to hide from something terrifying and dangerous. Instead she was hiding from something dull. Etiquette class.

Her days for the past few weeks had been filled with etiquette lessons, magic lessons, history lessons, and in general princess lessons. If she had to here Tutor say, "Concentrate DG" one more time she was going to throw up. It might have been easier if she had still had her friends to talk to, but since the eclipse it seemed that none of them seemed to have any time for her.

After Lilo's death, Raw had taken over an Elder's position with his people, and had disappeared off into the wilds of the OZ, having returned only once in an ambassadors capacity, and she'd only seen him from afar when he'd been there.

Glitch was closer at hand, but he had undergone the surgery to reconnect his brain to the rest of him a few days after the eclipse. Though she was happy that her friend had his brain back, he was no longer the same happy companion that she had traveled with. The two half's of him had connected back together to a certain point, but not all the way, so every once in a while, he would glitch, and the man she had known would appear for a while. It never lasted though. Eventually the darker, more intense Ambrose resurfaced. Despite the continued glitching he had resumed his role as an royal adviser to the Queen again, and that kept him busy enough that she rarely saw him even in passing.

DG sighed as her thoughts turned to Wyatt Cain. Like Glitch, the Tinman remained in Central City, but she saw him even less than she saw Glitch, or Ambrose as she supposed she should call him now. He had been reinstated as a Tinman, and now headed the Royal Division in Central City. He spent most of his days hunting down the Longcoat insurgency in the city, and, at least it seemed to her, avoiding DG.

Her family wasn't helping either. Her mother had taken command of the royal seat, while Ahamo had taken over as the Commander in Chief of the army. Meanwhile Lavender seemed to be dead set on setting up Azkadellia to take over as Queen, never mind that Az had no desire to rule. Meanwhile DG had been pushed aside, mainly by her mother, into various lessons, where should wouldn't be underfoot. Lavender had said that it was because she had grown up on the Otherside and knew nothing about the OZ, and therefore couldn't possibly help in reinstating the Gale power base and insuring the security of the OZ. While, yes, she didn't know very much about the OZ, she had been the one who had helped saved all of the Outer Zone. You'd think that would give you some allowance to at least help. Apparently not though.

At this point the only person she really had to talk to was Az. They had slowly be reconnecting over the weeks, and Az was the only one who would give her any information. Though on the odd occasion, she could get some information out of the man who had been put in charge of guarding her, Derek. He was an older man with a big, fluffy white mustache that she was rather fond of, who remained forever exasperated with her and her constant "escape" attempts. She couldn't help it if every once in a while she needed to play hooky from princess school.

Giving a soft sigh, DG pushed herself off from the bench she was sprawled across. It was no use just sitting here hiding. She would be found eventually. She might as well go explore a little more of the Central CIty Palace, before she was caught and escorted back to her ever dull princess lessons. Standing, her shoes crunched across the ground as she headed for the glass door she had come through earlier. Stretching out a hand for the handle of the ornate door handle, thunder shook the air. The glass in front of her let out a shimmering clatter as it shook in the metal panes. DG looked up at the sky. Blue sky with a few wispy white clouds. It wasn't thunder.

Author's note: So the first chapter of the story is up. How exciting! Leave me a review, I want to know what you all think, and leaving reviews will make the story magically update faster. :)


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you so much for the reviews to: Terriah, CinephileSandra, nightdrive23, KLCtheBookWorm and 2angelwings.

Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own Tinman.

The hallway DG entered was a scene of increasing chaos as servants and guards spilled into the hallways. Another boom, echoed through the corridors, the echos amplifying the noise, making it much louder than outside. The windows shivered as the shock wave ran through them, leaving a unnerving tinkling sound in its wake. DG took off down the hallway towards the noise. It sounded like cannons! Were they under attack? Taking a set of narrow side stairs DG moved down to the second level and the crush of people moving away from the explosions increased, though none of those seemed to realize she was in their midst, barely even recognizing that she was going the other way.

"DG!"

DG glanced over her shoulder, suppressing a groan, as she saw the white mustached man further down the hallway. One person had anticipated she would be here. Of course he would. Derek had spent enough time as her guard to know that she would head towards danger rather than away. She ignored the shout and continued forward. Of course she went towards danger. If she could help, she should do so, shouldn't she?

"DG!"

She ignored the second shout and continued forward. He would catch her eventually. She expected it, just as he now expected her to ignore his shouts. DG hurried around a corner, and sharp acrid smell of smoke hit her. She quickened her pace, she was almost there. Turning another corner, DG stopped dead, barely registering the bump as Derek, came around the corner and ran into her.

She was at the front hall of the palace. A large staircase swept down from the second floor into the long front hallway. The long room spread out in front of the staircase, the floors covered in beautiful mosaics, and pillars flanked the sides of the rooms, and large skylights poured in sunlight, creating a majestic elegance. She had been in here numerous times, watching as a company of soldiers marched through on their way barracks on the west side of the palace.

The room was anything but elegant today. A gaping hole had taken the place of the large ornate doors, and chunks of stone blocks littered the floor. A deep crack ran through the ceiling and one of the skylights had shattered, raining glass down on everything beneath it. One of the front pillars was completely obliterated while another half a dozen, were crumbling and fallen over. Mixed in with the rubble were bodies. It looked like the target of the explosion had been an incoming company of soldiers. Many were dead, but not all of them.

DG darted forward, heading down the stairs, heading towards the closest man. He was sprawled across the floor, various tears in his uniform, and a large charred section where it looked as though he had briefly been on fire. The most pressing thing however was a head wound, that was sluggishly leaking thick blood, that was drying black along the edges. DG looked him over desperately trying to remember what she had been taught about first aid in health class. You don't move someone who's been injured, she remembered that. DG checked to see if he was breathing. Air passed from his lips in shallow but steady breaths. Good, she thought, at least I don't have to try CPR. She had never really been able to get the hang of that. The main thing seemed to be the head wound. She needed to bandage it somehow.

DG started fumbling with the buttons on her shirt as Derek stumbled up next to her, shock written clearly on his features.

"DG we have to get you out of here, its not safe."

He paused for a second, "What are you doing?"

"We have to stop the bleeding," she said as she pulled the shirt off, revealing in full the black spaghetti strapped cami that had been peeking through the v of the shirt before.

"DG!" Derek said, shock and indignation filling his voice, "That's indecent! Put that back on right now!"

"Yes because decency is the important thing right now," she said sarcastically, while glaring at him as she hastily folded the shirt to make a pad out of it and pressed it to the wound at the unconscious soldier's temple.

Feet trampled into the room, and she looked up as a group of at least twenty soldiers flowed around her, heading towards the gaping hole and any more assailants that might still be there. It happened fast. DG saw the man dart over the fallen rubble where the front wall had been. He wore a long coat, and something shone beneath it.

Fire blossomed, like a sun igniting in the room. DG threw her hands up defensively as though they could protect her. A shock wave lifted her from the ground, throwing her backwards. She hit the floor again, and felt her ankle twist, as stone ground into her body. Her head hit the mosaic floor with a sharp thud, rebounding, and bouncing down again. Small spots of pain flared as glass rained down. Another skylight was gone. Heat seared across her skin, and the roar of fire filled her ears.

She stayed still for a moment and then pushed herself up into a sitting position. People were yelling, but the sound seemed muffled as though it were coming from far away or from beneath a thick layer of cotton. Pain induced tears blurred her vision, and she blinked rapid to try and clear them, and then she stared.

Flames billowed, seething angrily as they tried to jump forward, but they couldn't. They were being held back. A thin shimmering shield stood between the soldiers and the fire. Between her and the fire. The flames licked hungrily across it as though looking for a week point, ripples spreading out like water, every time the fire touched it. DG pushed herself to her feet, hands steadying her, as she stumbled. It was Derek. She didn't know how long he'd been there. Finally behind the barrier the flames began to die down, Smoke still filled the air, DG could taste it on her tongue, but now she could see the damage caused by the newest explosion, through the distorting heat waves that rose from the fire.

The ceiling through the first broken skylight was gone, as was most of the front wall now. More pillars were down, shattered across the floor. Derek was trying to say something to her, but she couldn't here him over the ringing in her ears. She watched dully as the shield seemed to flicker and then melt away. A wave of hot dry air washed across her, as darkness closed in.

Cain marched through the hallways, his boots clicking smartly across the tiled floor, and echoed through the now empty halls. The sound of his boots was multiplied by the two other Tinmen walking behind him. The men peeled off as he reached a brass door, and gave a short knock and entered without waiting for a reply. He stepped into the room and gave the people inside a quick one over. It had become a familiar scene in the past two months.

Queen Lavender sat behind a large ornate wood desk, and Ahamo stood at her shoulder. He looked a far cry different from the unkempt, up to no good image that he had been portraying before the eclipse. The scraggly hair had been cut short, and the mutton chops were shaved clean. He was a stern figure in the uniform he now wore as the Queen's Consort, and the Commander in Chief of the Queen's Armies.

On the other side of the desk, Azkadellia sat on a pale green chair, shoulders hunched and face pale. She too had changed since the eclipse. For the first few hours after the eclipse the confidence she had worn when the Witch had possessed her seemed to remain, and they had started to think that she was going to come out of the ordeal in better shape then they could of hoped. Then she'd finally stopped moving, working, to take a breather and to take everything in. She had broken down. Her nightmares were common knowledge, and many were waiting for her to break completely. Cain didn't think she would though. She had more spine than that. It might take a while but, eventually that steel would start to show up again.

On the opposite side of the room Glitch lounged on a small couch, set against the wall. Cain studied him for a second longer, taking in his posture. He was relaxed, an ankle crossed confidently on his knee. Not Glitch, Cain though, Ambrose. Glitch had gone into surgery to have the other half of his brain attached, and Ambrose had come back out of surgery. He had glitched frequently through the first couple weeks, but it was becoming less and less and the two sides of his brain became reacquainted with each other. Ambrose's intense personality, made Cain wonder where the relaxed, quirky side of him that was Glitch had come from.

Cain gave a brief bow and stepped further into the room.

"Colonel Cain, report." the Queen said.

Her tone was confident, calm and collected. She still didn't get it, he thought with an internal sigh. She didn't realize exactly how much of a fight they were in for, and how long this really was going to take. Or how much it was going to cost them.

"The bombers were Longcoats. They used magic of some kind, which we presume was in a device so they could use it. There are no leads so far as to where it came from."

"Do you have these Longcoats in custody?"

"No ma'am."

Cain could see the angry starting to rise in the Queen's eyes.

"They're dead. They were blown up with the device."

The Queen's face paled slightly as the shock of the Longcoat's new tactic set in, and then she nodded.

"Good."

"We have twenty seven dead and forty nine wounded. Work is underway to seal off the entrance, guards have been set to make sure no unwelcome guests come through. We should have that finished by nightfall your Highness."

A knock sounded on the door, and Cain looked over his shoulder as an older man with a large white mustache slip in through the door, as the Queen motioned for him to come in. Cain frowned slightly as he recognized Derek Galvin, the man who had been put in charge of DG's protection detail. The man stood politely to the side waiting, and Cain turned back towards the Queen.

"One last thing, Colonel Cain," she said briskly, "I have heard rumors of magic being used briefly, on our side, during these explosions. What do you know of it."

Cain shrugged, "I have heard the rumor as well, but there hasn't been much time to follow it up. I'll let you know when I hear more."

Galvin cleared his throat and stepped forward, "If I may," he said, "I can confirm that rumor for you."

Cain felt ice race through his veins.

"It was DG," he growled, already heading towards the door.

There it is, part two! I feel bad that I took so long to get this to you all. The next one will definitely come faster. Promise! Please leave a review, I love hearing what you guys think, and reviews definitely make me write faster! ;) Thanks again to everyone who reviewed before, the reviews made my day.

Also just as a side note about how Ahamo has lost his creeper mutton chops. If anyone wants to see what he looks like without them, do a quick Google search on Ted Whittall. He is actually quite pretty.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaim: Sigh...nope still not mine.

Also Thanks So Much for Reviewing to: Sic Vita Est, nightdrive23, KLCtheBookWorm, PhoenixFyre, Lauramichca, angeloneous, and Terriah

Update: When I loaded the chapter the blinky lines (look below) were in the text but for some reason fanfiction just deleted it out of the text file. Where the blinkies went I have no clue so hopefully this should make that better. BLAH! They are gone again! WHY! I just want to seperate the different parts of the chapters (sob). Trying again. Ooo, horizontal ruler. Maybe this will work? It does! Thanks KLCtheBookWorm for letting me know that the seperation blinkies which I thought were there, were definatly so not. So they are now and hopefully that makes this easier to read.

* * *

Cain strode down the hallway, his shoes ringing angrily across the tile. He was going to kill her. She should know better by now. Hadn't she seen enough trouble when she went up against the Witch? One would think so, but here she was doing the same kind of thing all over again. Throwing herself into danger without a second thought.

It was just like when he first saw her. He'd been trapped in that tin suit for so long, watching Zero torture his family over and over and over again. The images never changing, at least not until she came. She had charged out of the woods like a wild thing, only a stick in hand, and tried to take on the Longcoats by herself. Like she would have ever even had a chance against them. Then she had gotten him out of that suit, with no consideration that there might be a good reason that he was in that suit in the first place, her only though to help the person who was trapped inside.

It was that spirit that had drew him to her, even when all he wanted was to go after Zero for revenge. It was the same spirit that drove him up the wall, because she was always getting into trouble. He had to admit that it was also for that same reason that he'd been avoiding her since the eclipse.

He was now in charge of the Queen's Guard. One of his duties was to provide the protection for the royal family and he'd seriously thought about taking on the position to protect her personally. Especially with it being a tradition that the head of the guard guarded a member of the royal family. The head of the guard usually protected the Queen but not always. He knew that he couldn't though.

The Guard was chasing after the Longcoats in the city, which meant that he was chasing after the Longcoats. He knew that it meant that he would end up in the line of fire and he was afraid that DG would end up in the line of fire as well. Or worse, she would throw herself in the line of fire, without thinking, because she was trying to help him. He shook his head, no it was better that he avoided her.

Turning a corner, he made another sharp turn into the first doorway around the corner. He slowed as he walked into the large long room. Beds were lined up through the room, and the hazy golden light of late afternoon streamed through the windows, dust motes swirling patterns through the light. He found her still form almost immediately. Dark locks framed a too pale face. A dark bruise was spreading across her cheekbone, and numerous angry red scratches marred her skin. He started across the room towards her, but veered away as the head mender approached him.

"Tinman," the man said with a nod.

"How is she?" There was no question of who "she" was.

"She has a few scrapes and cuts and a fair amount of bruising. There is also some slight burns but there's nothing really too serious. It'll all heal within a week or two."

"Then why isn't she awake?"

"She wore herself out. Drained. Used too much of her magic protecting the soldiers in the front hall. She'll probably wake up in a few hours with a headache, but otherwise she should be fine."

Cain nodded, and then glanced behind him as numerous footsteps sounded in the hallway behind him. The rest of those who had been in the office filed into the room. He knew they couldn't be far behind him.

"Oh, my angel." The Queen swept past him towards her daughter, with Azkedillia right behind her. Ambrose gave him a quick glance before following them as well. Ahamo stepped next to Cain as the healer moved away to reassure the Queen.

"Is she going to be alright?" he asked softly.

Cain nodded, "Yes."

The release of tension in the other man's body was obvious,

"Good. I trust you will monitor her condition until she's declared fit to leave?"

"Of course," Cain said simply, "My job would require no less."

Ahamo gave him a small smile,

"Of course, she is also your friend. I know you keep a good watch on her."

Cain nodded, "I should be getting back to my duties, but I will keep you informed, sir." Ahamo put his hand on the Tinman's shoulder and gave him a curt nod,

"Thank you Colonel."

Cain nodded as well, knowing a dismissal when he heard one, and stepped away, watching as the other man walked over to stand next to his Queen, an arm wrapping around her waist.

He spared one last glance at DG. She got into enough trouble without him. He turned and stepped from the room. This was for the best. He would watch over her from a distance and make sure she was safe, just as his job called for, but other than that he would keep his distance. She has the love of her family, she didn't need hi-. Cain stopped the thought short. He wasn't going to admit that yet. Not even to himself.

* * *

"Concentrate DG."

DG glared at the man across the lawn. Oh yah, she'd concentrate, she thought blackly, she'd concentrate her foot right into his face if he didn't stop saying that. A small wooden ball came flying across the lawn towards her, and DG dodged out of the way.

"DG!" the frustrated Tutor shouted across the lawn, "Your supposed to be shielding against them, not running away!"

"Why not!" she roared back, "It's easier and more practical to just run away!"

The man rubbed a hand across his face, obviously frustrated, but DG didn't care. They'd been outside now for two hours, with Tutor trying to get her to recreate the shield she had produced a few days ago. It wasn't working. For the first hour DG had tried. She really had, but then she'd finally gotten fed up with being hit by wooden balls, that caused her half healed bruises to sting like all hell.

"Alright DG," Tutor said wearily, "I think we're done for today."

Turning she stomped across the lawn towards Derek, who was currently lounging on the grass further up the lawn.

"That didn't seem to go well Trouble."

DG rolled her eyes. Derek had taken to calling her that ever since she'd ended up in the medical wing.

"Your witty remarks helped with it so much," she said acidly.

Derek had kept up a running commentary through the lesson, which she actually might have found funny, had most of it not been directed at her. The older man pulled himself to his feet in front of her, while she fumed, and gave her a lazy grin.

"That smile just makes me want to hit you," DG grumped. Derek watched her eyes travel to his sword and brighten for a moment as she opened her mouth.

"No." he snapped. The annoyed glare returned and the princess's face took on a mulish cast. Derek had been hoping that her trip to the med wing would put the familiar argument on hold for a little while. Apparently not.

"Why not? What could happen? I'd be able to defend myself if you weren't there." Her bodyguard shook his head, leading the way back towards the palace.

"No! Your always in trouble, even when your not."

"That doesn't even make sense."

"Don't interrupt me girly."

"Girly?"

"You are not learning how to use a sword! Your enough trouble already without a sharp blade to run around with. I can see it now, you running around with a sword, promptly tripping and impaling yourself.."

"What about the,"

"No! Your not learning how to use the gun either."

"I could command you to teach me!"

"No you can't. I report to Cain, not you, and he's the one that will kill me when you chop your hand off or blow off a toe."

DG let out a chain of swear words, but the older man in front of her just ignored her. Falling into a depressed silence, DG trudged into the palace after him, and then groaned as she realized where they were heading next. Etiquette class. Why oh why were they torturing her like this?

"Excuse me, Princess?"

DG turned at the voice behind her, confusion evident as she took in the group of soldiers that seemed to have materialized silently behind her.

"Princess," one started as he stepped forward, looking nervous. "Princess, we, that is all of us," he said gesturing to the men behind him, "We wanted to thank you."

DG blinked in surprise, "Thank me?"

"The other day, the soldiers you shielded in the front hall, we were some of them. If you hadn't shielded us from the blast we would likely be dead. We owe our thanks and our lives to you. If for any reason you should ever need us, we are yours to command."

He, and the nearly dozen soldiers behind him dropped down into a formal bow.

"No, no," DG said uncomfortably, "Please don't do that."

The first soldier looked up, confused, but he slowly returned to standing, the others behind him doing the same. DG was about to excuse herself to continue down the hallway, when her eyes lighted on the simply sheathed sword at the man's hip. Derek followed her gaze as well.

"DG no! Absolutely not! That is not going to happen! Damn it DG, no!"

She pointed at the sword, "Do you know how to use that?"

* * *

Okay there we go. I'm so sorry this took absolutely forever to put up. And I mean like stupidly forever. Life exploded at me and as a result nothing happened for a while. So hopefully that shouldn't happen again.

Also thanks again for the reviews! I love hearing from you guys. :)


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